We assume that it is unlikely that you will meet someone who would not dream of always being beautiful, full of strength and happy. Sometimes many try different sports, gyms, diets, walks in the parks. However, what do we know about a healthy lifestyle? It is rare to find someone who fully adheres to it. Why is this happening? What prevents people from taking care of their health? What will you have to do to look and feel great? And how to live long and successfully? We will try to answer all these questions below.

Healthy lifestyle – what is it?

Today, everyone's life is full of events, technologies and temptations. In our developed times, people are accustomed to running somewhere and rushing, to make the most of it. Work quickly, learn new things, eat fast food, take medications with immediate effect. There is no extra minute for relaxation and basic attention to yourself. However, sooner or later your health will fail. It never happens on time and always brings bad results.

It's easy to avoid this outcome. Just know and follow the rules of a healthy lifestyle. What kind of “beast” is this? A healthy lifestyle is a set of useful habits that have a positive effect on a person’s life. With its help you can improve your health, increase your life expectancy and be happy. A healthy lifestyle has become especially relevant lately. Technological progress, poor ecology and lack of mobility have a detrimental effect on people. Various types of stress appear, leading to diseases, often chronic. In this regard, a healthy lifestyle is extremely important for our society.

What does a healthy lifestyle consist of?

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle helps everyone take care of and care for their body. It contributes to its strengthening, stability and strength. This is true only under one condition. You need to use all its components. There are many classifications of them. We chose a simple and meaningful one. So, a healthy lifestyle consists of:

1. proper nutrition;
2. sports;
3. personal hygiene;
4. different types of hardening;
5. giving up or minimizing bad habits.

Proper nutrition

Eating right, first of all, means eating only healthy foods. They provide the body with various substances that help it grow and function. Proper nutrition should be extremely balanced.

A person, especially with the problem of excess weight, should adhere to several principles of proper nutrition:

1. Food should be varied. This means that the diet must include products of both animal and plant origin;
2. The calorie content of the diet should not exceed the daily requirement. Everyone has their own. Many lifestyle aspects are taken into account when calculating your caloric intake. For example, the presence of physical activity, excess weight, illness, etc.
3. At least 5 meals per day. They include three mains and two snacks. You can’t go hungry – that’s an axiom. To always feel good, learn to eat 5 times a day at the same time;
4. Eat slowly. This way, you will feel full in time, not overeat and enjoy the taste;
5. Chew your food well. This is a salvation for the stomach and the entire digestive system. Experts recommend chewing food at least twenty times;
6. Eat liquid. Be sure to consume soups daily. They promote the secretion of gastric juice. In this way, soups simplify the process of digesting other dishes;
7. We eat vegetables and fruits rich in vitamins. This is a great option for a snack. Fresh vegetables and fruits will not only satisfy hunger, but also replenish the lack of nutrients;
8. Drink, drink and drink again. The amount of water per day is 1.5-2 liters. Tea, coffee and soups do not count. In the morning, drink a glass of water on an empty stomach. You can add lemon for taste;
9. We consume fermented milk products. Low fat content is best, but not low fat. They contain healthy protein and promote speedy digestion;
10. Don't be lazy, eat only freshly prepared food. Over time, food loses its beneficial properties.

The rules of healthy eating are quite simple and do not require special skills. Today, there are a lot of services available where everyone will find recipes to suit their taste and will be able to control the calorie content of dishes and the amount of water consumed.

Sports and physical activity

Our body is our main tool. With its help we can perform all our functions. Therefore, it is very important that the body is always in order. First of all, you need to use it. Movement is life. Couldn't have said it better. Let's take a car for example. If it sits idle for many years, it becomes covered with rust and becomes unusable. So is our body. The less we move, the greater the risk of disease. It's good if you have a lot of free time. You can attend group classes, exercise at the gym or dance. There are a lot of options. But what to do if you are a busy person and have almost no free time? The ideal option for you is morning exercises. Dedicate 10-15 minutes a day to it, and your body will always be in excellent condition.

On the Internet you can find a huge amount of information about exercises and morning exercise techniques. In addition to the above, running has a great effect on the human body. A morning or evening run lifts your spirits. By choosing picturesque places for running, you can clear your mind of unnecessary thoughts and relax. It doesn't matter what type of physical activity you choose. It is important that they give you pleasure.

Personal hygiene and healthy sleep

Hardening

To reduce the risk of disease to a minimum, it is worth hardening. It helps the body fight unfavorable external factors. There are many ways to increase resistance and immunity:

1. Taking air baths. This is the most accessible and easiest way. Try to take frequent walks in the fresh air and ventilate the rooms. In the summer, go out into the countryside. Clean forest air is the best disease prevention;
2. Sunbathing. No less effective for a person is exposure to the sun. However, you should be careful with it and avoid direct rays at midday. Burns and heat strokes should also not be allowed to occur;
3. Walking barefoot. Our feet have many sensitive points. Their massage leads to normalization of the functioning of important organs;
4. Rubdowns– a soft and gentle method of hardening. It is suitable even for small children. The process involves rubbing the body with a massage mitten, washcloth or wet towel;
5. Pouring cold water- the most famous method. You can douse yourself completely or partially. It is important to wipe yourself with a dry towel after the procedure;
6. Cold and hot shower. Alternating cold and hot water gives skin tone, rejuvenates and strengthens the body.
7. Winter swimming. This type of hardening requires a responsible and careful attitude. Before starting procedures, you should consult your doctor.

Rejection of bad habits

We will not go deep and talk for a long time about the dangers of smoking, alcohol and drugs. This is a well-known fact. We really hope that each of you, our readers, values ​​​​your health and has long given up these destructive habits or is now on the way to this.

Although genes play a significant role in shaping our physique, recent research has shown that we have the ability to influence this situation and bring out our best side. At any point in our lives, fat cells can increase or decrease, and this depends more on lifestyle (diet and physical activity) than on genes.

Since gene theory no longer holds the same weight, what determines how thin our figure will be?

If you had the opportunity to spend a day in the company of a slim person who follows a healthy lifestyle, you would certainly notice several things that distinguish him from the majority who lead a sedentary lifestyle. Find out how some people manage to maintain a slim figure and good health into old age and try to adopt these healthy habits.

1. Get enough sleep and wake up naturally. Most people who lead a healthy lifestyle wake up without an alarm clock in a great mood, rested and with a good appetite. They have developed a fitness plan and are sticking to it. Such people fall asleep easily, sleep more soundly, and in addition, they have less need for sleep, i.e. To recuperate, they only need a few hours of sound sleep. It is known that there is a strong connection between lack of sleep and overweight (obesity). Sleep restores the body's strength, helps to rebuild and prepare for a new day.

2. Beready. People who lead a healthy lifestyle prepare sports equipment and clothes for the next day in the evening and plan their routine for the whole week in advance, taking into account sports training. By the way, they take training as seriously as business meetings or social obligations.

3. Do morning exercises. Exercising in the morning is more effective than exercising in the evening, and it fits better into your daily routine. After morning exercise, a pleasant feeling of satisfaction and pride appears, which helps you choose healthy food throughout the day, successfully overcome stressful situations and maintain a good mood. Morning exercise is the best start to the day, which ultimately influences many of the decisions we make throughout the day.

4. Plan your diet. People who lead a healthy lifestyle eat at specific times, plan meals based on their workouts, and know exactly what they will eat and when. It may take some effort in the beginning to make healthy food and snack choices, but don't leave nutrition to chance. If you're so hungry that you head to a buffet or order food from a fast food drive-thru, that's the first sign of disaster at hand.

5. Don't dwell on failures. People who lead a healthy lifestyle don't let setbacks stop them on their way to their goals - one missed workout doesn't turn into two or three. After a missed workout, they head to the gym and work out even more intensely. Also, you shouldn’t get too upset and stop your diet because of one piece of pizza or cake. You need to return to a healthy diet, exercise regularly and get enough sleep so that from time to time you can allow yourself a little indulgence and skip a workout, without blaming yourself for all the deadly sins.

6. Change your lifestyle and habits. Slender people did not become this way overnight - it took them much more time. They read a lot about fitness and nutrition, and don't try to transform themselves overnight, gradually changing their habits until they become a natural part of their life. As the sages said, choose the best, and habit will make it pleasant and natural.

7. Learn to distinguish the psychology of success from useless and harmful advice “how to quickly lose weight without effort.” People who lead a healthy lifestyle do not fall for magical means of quickly and effortlessly losing weight and getting healthier. They know that longevity, good health and a slim figure do not come easy, and it takes a lot of effort to enjoy these benefits every day. Remember: if something is too good to be true, it is not true.

8. Lose excess weight and keep it off. People who lead a healthy lifestyle know that diet alone is not enough to lose weight and maintain the achieved weight for a long time. Fitness classes are the key to successful weight loss. With regular exercise, the achieved weight can be maintained for life.

9. Don’t neglect positive auto-training. To maintain a good figure, you need to use positive auto-training techniques. It is unlikely that you will lose weight if you constantly tell yourself “I’m fat” or “I’m lazy.” Repeat the phrases “I am strong”, “I will succeed”, “I take care of my figure”, etc. more often.

10. Set realistic goals. People who lead a healthy lifestyle and watch their figure always strive for realistic goals. Some people want to lose weight to a certain size or parameters. Others use their behavior to support a cause, such as jogging to fight breast cancer or cycling to fight leukemia. Once you achieve one goal, set the next one and make a plan on how to achieve it.

If you dream of a slim, healthy, strong and resilient body, choose at least one of the habits listed above and do not deviate from it. When this habit becomes second nature to you, move on to the next one. Remember - the more healthy habits you have, the easier and richer your life will be, and the more you will be pleased with your reflection in the mirror.

These questions can be answered by epigenetics - a science that studies changes in the activity of genes that do not affect the DNA structure. We are publishing a review of a book by German neuroscientist Peter Sporck about one of the most promising scientific disciplines.

The emergence of epigenetics.

Peter Sporck writes about a relatively young science. The name "Epigenetics" appeared in 1942, when Conrad Waddington, a biologist from England who laid the foundations of systems biology, proposed this term as a cross between "genetics" and Aristotle's "epigenesis" - the doctrine of sequential embryonic development. We know about Aristotle's classic experiment with breaking chicken eggs - with the help of it, the philosopher was able to establish that the heart is formed first in the embryo, and the emergence of internal parts precedes the development of external ones. In the 1940s, when scientists still did not understand the physical nature of the genome, Waddington's assumption about the epigenetic landscape was revolutionary.

By analogy with a geographical landscape in which there are rivers flowing from source to mouth, one can imagine the development of an organism as the flow of a river - the source in this case will become conception, and the mouth - maturity. However, we should not forget about the relief along which the river bed runs: this metaphor can denote the external conditions that affect the development of the organism. An avalanche, rockfall, or even an earthquake can change the flow of a river. Adapting to new conditions, the organism undergoes mutations, which forms the basis of variability - the most important part of biological evolution.

In the 60s and 70s, active study of genes began. Now we all know that many genes contain information about the structure of the cell and how it functions and are active throughout a person’s life. However, scientists are faced with the fact that many genes work inconsistently, and the mode of their activation depends on external factors. It is precisely these mechanisms that epigenetics deals with - a science that studies changes in gene activity that do not affect the DNA structure. Thus, the idea that all functions of the human body are determined by the sequence of the DNA chain is refuted by epigenetics. In other words, epigenetics can explain how our environment can influence our genes to turn on and off. The first Nobel Prize for discoveries in the field of epigenetics was awarded only in 2006 to scientists from the USA.

Second code.

Spork compares human genes to computer hardware. It's good to have an expensive video card and a powerful processor. But what about the software? Without it, is it possible to perform the most basic action - type text, look at an image? Epigeneticists deal with the software of our body. In the near future, scientists intend to explore how, by changing our lifestyle, we can learn to control our genes and prolong the life of ourselves and our descendants.

Genetics and its notorious branch, eugenics, assumed that only genetic material influenced the developmental state of an organism. Randy Jertle, a biologist from Duke University (Durham, USA), refuted this with the help of a clear experiment: he gave genetically identical laboratory mice different foods during pregnancy. Mice born from mothers consuming food with dietary supplements were healthy and brown, while mice deprived of such food were born yellow and sickly. These changes will further affect the entire subsequent life of the animals: poor nutrition has disabled some genes in them that determine coat color and disease resistance. The genes of the embryos at the time of feeding were already formed and were not affected - therefore, something else was affected. It is precisely these mechanisms of influence that epigenetics deals with - “above - Genetics”, which studies epigenomes located, as it were, above the genome of cells.

The truth is that if only a genome consisting of just four different components, a kind of “Wiring Circuit”, determined our development, then we would all be about the same. “Even Chimpanzees would be little different from us,” writes Spork. It is thanks to the epigenome, the “Second Code,” that our body is able to build cells of different types - hair, liver, brain - although they have the same genome. The epigenome is thus a guide to how to control the genome. It is he who is responsible for the activation and deactivation of certain genes and programs the rate of cell aging. It is obvious that if each cell simultaneously read all its genes and synthesized all possible proteins, the body would not be able to function. What we were taught in school, that cells pass on only their genome, no longer corresponds to scientific reality. In fact, cells inherit the epigenome.

The impact of epigenetics on gerontology is enormous. Scientists now know that despite the existence of an unchanging genome, a person's fate is largely in his own hands. “Change your Lifestyle - and you will Begin a Chain of Biochemical Changes that will Imperceptibly, but Steadily Help You and, Possibly, All Your Descendants until the End of Their Life on Earth,” suggests Shpork. And, despite the fact that this statement is similar to what all world religions promise, it has strict biological foundations.

Since the landmark completion of the Human Genome Project in 2003, scientists have faced new challenges. Pharmacists were already hoping for new gene drugs, but it turned out that failure of the function of a specific gene rarely leads to the development of a disease that can be diagnosed in advance. Everything turned out to be much more complicated than it looked at the beginning. Scientists have learned that the genome is not a stable text. The number of genes can increase, for example, 16 times, and the genes themselves can be modified, split and joined again: such genes are called transposons.

Scientists placed bets on a kind of gene sweepstakes - they had to guess how many genes a person would have at the end of the research. Estimates varied - the number of genes jumped from 27 to 160 thousand. After the completion of sequencing of the human genome in 2003, it was discovered that the genetic code of the amoeba is two hundred times longer than the human one - the latter is only about 22 thousand genes. Why is the complexity of organisms not reflected in their DNA, or perhaps more complex organisms have more compact DNA? But what then to do with yeast, whose DNA is two hundred times shorter than human DNA?

Epigenetics answered the question of how a person can have fewer genes than an amoeba or a weed: higher organisms are able to synthesize many protein variants from one “Scheme”. In other words, the whole point is in gene regulation - it appears only in complex organisms, and the more complex it is, the more diverse its life activity is organized. Thus, despite the small number of genes, humans, thanks to their epigenome, are much more complex than other organisms. The same thesis of epigeneticists also answers another popular question: why are we little different from chimpanzees if the coincidence of our genomes is 98.7%? Although differences in genetic material are minimal, epigenetic differences are enormous.

Another question that could have been asked of evolutionary biologists several decades ago is how do humans adapt to their environment in the long term? Previously, science knew only about two extremes - evolution, which takes thousands of years, and hormonal changes, which work super quickly. However, between them there was an important middle mechanism - epigenetic switches. It is they who shape our adaptation to the environment for a period commensurate with the duration of human life. It is especially important that the changes they make will have a long-term effect - even if new signals do not enter the cell. This makes it clearer why our mother’s diet or early childhood experiences can influence the rest of our lives. But one should not think that the epigenome is an absolutely immobile system. A person is capable of changing the properties of his body, both for the better and for the worse.

A healthy lifestyle is of such global importance that it helps a person prolong life itself. At least once, everyone has thought about the amount of harm that their body takes on. It's a shame, isn't it? Then put aside your laziness and get to work!

A healthy lifestyle is a set of rules aimed at improving the psychological and physical condition of the body and its productive functioning.

Ancient people did not know the specifics of hygiene, proper nutrition or the optimal amount of physical activity. This contributed to a decrease in population and a colossal number of sick people.

Over time, the concept of a healthy lifestyle has become ingrained in the hearts of citizens. The desire to live as long as possible, see your grandchildren and be healthy enough to care for them is an excellent motivation for creating the basis for a healthy lifestyle.

World Health Organization opinion on healthy lifestyles

Health is not just the absence of physical defects and diseases, but also the totality of social, physical and mental well-being. Supporting health and a healthy lifestyle, WHO declared April 7 as Health Day, since it was on this day in 1948, according to the WHO Charter, that the first interpretation of the concept of a healthy lifestyle appeared, which has not changed to this day.

The organization conducts research into health-related behavior of individuals. Based on the results obtained, 10 main recommendations were identified.

1. By consuming breast milk for a baby under 6 months of age, the risk of developing most non-communicable diseases is automatically reduced.
2. Healthy sleep is necessary in conjunction with a work and rest regime.
3. An annual blood test, an ECG, a visit to a therapist, and blood pressure monitoring are required.
4. Minimum consumption of alcoholic beverages. Live beer or red wine are allowed in moderation.
5. Quitting tobacco products.
6. Regular exercise.
7. Use iodized salt instead of sodium salt.
8. Replace easily digestible carbohydrates (buns, pies) with nuts, fruits, vegetables, and grains.
9. Eliminate margarine and animal fat from the diet. Use flaxseed oil, rapeseed oil, walnut oil or grape seed oil.
10. To calculate ideal body weight, use the formulas:

• • for women: (Height in cm - 100) X 0.85 = ideal weight;
  • for men: (Height in cm - 100) X 0.9 = ideal weight.

Basics of healthy lifestyle

The basics of a healthy lifestyle include factors that help create a healthy body and a stable psyche. Today, many pathological diseases are known that are caused by the environment. This creates a need to strengthen the body. Where do we start?

Proper nutrition means avoiding unhealthy foods (flour, sweet, fatty, etc.) and replacing them with fruits, vegetables, berries, and cereals. The condition of the skin, internal organs, muscles and tissues depends on the quality of nutrition. Drinking 2-3 liters of water per day will speed up metabolism, slow down skin aging, and prevent dehydration.

• create a diet plan;
• do not overeat;
• replace harmful foods with healthy ones.

Currently, physical inertia is an acute problem in society. Lack of muscle activity is currently fraught with health problems. According to WHO research, physical inertia leads to death in 6% of cases.

Regular exercise:

• prevent the development of depression and psycho-emotional disorders;
• help in the treatment of diabetes;
• reduce the risk of cancer;
• increase the strength of bone tissue;
• allow you to monitor your weight;
• improve the immune system.

Maintaining a daily routine

From birth it is worth accustoming the body to a specific routine. Initially, parents must guide the child, then the process must be controlled independently. An individual daily routine is selected for a specific person. By following simple rules and accustoming your body to a consistent schedule, you can get rid of many problems.

1. Dream. Allows you to bring the body back to normal. The average sleep duration for an adult is 8 hours.
2. Eating at a time. Regular eating eliminates the possibility of weight gain. The body gets used to eating at strictly designated hours. If you deprive him of this privilege, malfunctions in the functioning of internal organs are guaranteed. For the first 21 days, you can make a nutrition plan - have breakfast with cereals, in small portions. A habit will develop, and the stomach will work like a clock.
3. Taking care of the body. Physical activity during the day is necessary, especially if there is no opportunity to move during the rest of the day (sedentary work).

By following the rules for the correct regime, you “risk” acquiring a good mood, directing the body to solve more complex mental and physical tasks and motivating loved ones with your example.

Rejection of bad habits

Abuse of alcohol or smoking is addictive. In addition, alcohol-containing products are prohibited for nulliparous girls - alcohol “kills” eggs, and the likelihood of remaining childless increases significantly. Tobacco provokes cancer.

Giving up bad habits gives you fortitude and helps you avoid unwanted health problems.

Strengthening the body

This is an important component of a healthy lifestyle. How to determine that the body is not strengthened enough?

The person is concerned about:

• frequent colds;
• constant feeling of fatigue;
• sleep disturbance;
• muscle and joint pain;
• headache;
• skin rashes.

If such signs are present, it is recommended to consult a doctor for qualified help. He will prescribe immuno-strengthening drugs and a course of treatment. If you don’t want to take pills, you should ask your doctor’s advice about home methods. To strengthen the immune system, the diet often includes:

• Bay leaf;
• horseradish;
• shrimps;
• fruits and vegetables, which contain vitamins A, C and E;
• dry red wine

Many people douse themselves with cold water to improve their well-being and strengthen their body, even to the point of winter swimming. From an early age, parents accustom their child to this procedure in order to protect him from infectious diseases.

Human mental health as one of the factors of healthy lifestyle

Mental health is about the individual's response to the influences of the outside world. The environment has an aggressive effect on a person’s state of mind. Experiences and stress bring diseases and mental disorders into the body. To protect yourself from suffering, disease prevention is used.

According to WHO, mental health is the appropriate behavior of a person when interacting with the environment. It includes 3 main factors.

1. No mental disorders.
2. Stress resistance.
3. Adequate self-esteem.

Be happy with yourself - this is the basis of mental health. If you experience frequent depression or mood swings, consult a psychotherapist.

He will prescribe the necessary medications and offer rational treatment.

Followers of a healthy lifestyle have a number of advantages:

• bad mood is a rare occurrence;
• infectious diseases are not able to attack the powerful immunity of the “healthy lifestyle”;
• chronic diseases recede into the background, fading away or manifesting themselves less actively;
• psychological state at a stable level;
• the functioning of the body proceeds without interruption;
• spending time becomes more productive.

Conclusion

Having analyzed in detail what a healthy lifestyle is, you should also understand that the main task of a citizen is to take care of himself and those around him. A healthy lifestyle also means a strong character. All people plan to live a long time, do not want to get sick or see their children sick. But not everyone makes a choice in favor of a healthy lifestyle.

The reason is the lack of proper motivation and simple laziness. It’s better to sit down with chips than to walk for half an hour. This opinion is shared by the majority of citizens of our country. You should consult a doctor only when the pain is no longer unbearable.

Think about your health, give your body a healthy lifestyle. And rest assured, your body will reward you with good health and absence of illness.

On the pages of glossy magazines and on television shows, all celebrities look young and sparkle with health. Haters always accuse them of excessively retouching photos and regularly visiting plastic surgeons. However, many stars deny this and say that it is a matter of proper nutrition and an active lifestyle.

Ekaterina Andreeva (56 years old)

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Thanks to her youth, the host of the information program “Time” on Channel One has become a meme. Andreeva is 56 years old, and she looks the same as she did 20 years ago during her first television broadcasts. Fans joke that she is an alien, but in fact the secret of her beauty is much more prosaic.

Ekaterina Andreeva plays sports and eats right. In addition, the TV presenter believes that the most important point for a woman’s beauty is sound and healthy sleep. And it will be no less useful to smile after waking up.

David Beckham (42 years old)

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One of the most sought-after football players in the world, it is therefore not surprising that he leads a healthy lifestyle and follows a special intensive training program. The athlete also regularly goes out into nature, eats right and has accustomed his entire family to this lifestyle.

On his social networks, he tells subscribers about the importance of motivation. David Beckham admitted that he would never have achieved such success in football if he had not been angry with his school physical education teacher, who said that the athlete was too small and weak to play for the England team.

Pink (38 years old)

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The American singer was able to achieve amazing results in working on her body. During her second pregnancy, the 38-year-old star gained more than 20 kg, but was able to regain her original weight and slim figure. Her Instagram- real proof that a child is not an obstacle in the pursuit of ideal parameters.

Pink often shares pictures and videos of herself playing sports with her child. Mothers who do not have time to monitor their figure due to constant troubles with the baby can follow her example.